Ridiculously Easy Bean Salad
- PREP 10min
- TOTAL 10min
The beans you choose to use for this simple bean salad is up to you. Both canned or home cooked beans will work. When using canned, drain and rinse the beans first before adding to the salad.
You Will Need
For the Salad
3 (15-ounce) cans beans, drained and rinsed or use 4 ½ cups cooked beans
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1 medium cucumber, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
3 tablespoons drained capers
1/2 cup (60 grams) finely chopped fresh parsley, see notes
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano, see notes
For the Dressing
1/4 cup (60 ml) red wine vinegar
1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 to 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup, optional
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Directions
Add chopped onions to a small bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside for 5 minutes, drain, and then rinse. This step helps to remove some of the “raw” flavor of the onion so that it does not overpower the salad.
Meanwhile, in the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, salt and pepper. Taste the dressing and then adjust with more salt/pepper. If the dressing tastes too abrasive, whisk in 1 to 2 teaspoons of honey or maple syrup to balance out the vinegar.
Add the beans, drained onion, cucumber, parsley, capers and dried oregano. Toss well, cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 1 hour to allow the beans to marinate in the dressing.
The salad will keep stored in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- In our photos, we have used chickpeas, black beans and pinto beans. You can use these or other cooked or canned beans for the salad.
- Honey/Maple Syrup: Depending on the vinegar you use, you might find the dressing a little too vinegary. To balance this out, simply whisk in a little sweetener like honey or maple syrup.
- Fresh herbs: Parsley is classic in this salad, but other fine herbs work nicely, too. Try basil, mint, dill, cilantro or tarragon. When using tarragon, use a bit less than what is called for in the recipe above since it has a stronger flavor.
- Dried herbs: I enjoy dried oregano in this salad, but other herb blends will work nicely. Try an Italian, Mediterranean or French dried spice blend (like Herbes de Provence).
- Nutrition Facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.
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